The present invention is directed to a sheet material cutter for use in combination with a sheet bending brake having one or more track features for guiding the cutter along the brake, and to a gauge for locating the sheet material to be cut in the sheet bending brake.
Portable sheet bending brakes generally include a support with a plurality of C-shaped fame sections. An elongated base member is mounted on the lower arms of the frame sections to form a clamp surface, and an elongated anvil member is mounted on bars pivotally secured to the upper arms of the frame sections for clamping sheet material against the clamp surface on the base member. A bend member is pivotally mounted to the base member for bending over the edge of the anvil member sheet material clamped between the anvil member and the base member. The anvil member is provided with one or more longitudinally extending track features for guiding a manual cutter along the anvil member so as to sever or slice strips of material from sheet stock clamped between the anvil and base members. However, it is difficult to guide the cutter and maintain the cutter on the anvil member track, particularly when the operator seeks to stand directly in front of the brake as the cutter is moved along the bending brake.
A sheet material cutter and bending brake combination in accordance with one aspect of the present invention includes a sheet bending brake having a base member with a clamp surface, and an anvil member for clamping sheet material against the clamp surface. The anvil member has a track extending longitudinally of the anvil member and the brake. The track includes a pair of parallel channels that are at an angle to each other, and are laterally spaced from each otherxe2x80x94i.e., laterally of the longitudinal dimension of the brake and the longitudinal direction of the track. A cutter has a frame, and first and second pairs of track rollers mounted on the frame. The first pair of track rollers have outwardly extending peripheries for receipt in the first channel, and the second pair of track rollers have outwardly extending peripheries for receipt in the second channel. A pair of cutter rollers on the frame are disposed for engagement with sheet material clamped between the anvil and base members when the cutter is mounted on the track. The track and track roller geometries provide affirmative wheel locking in the track, which reduces any tendency of the cutter to become untracked as the cutter is propelled along the sheet bending brake.